Principal Planner

Toole Design • Silver Spring, MD

12d • $120,000 - $145,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Toole Design is seeking a Principal Planner for its Silver Spring, Maryland office. The office brings together urban designers, landscape architects, planners, and engineers to improve safety, livability, and accessibility for people walking, biking, and taking transit. Projects span systemwide planning and visioning through final engineering designs and include Vision Zero Action Plans, Active Transportation Plans, trail planning, Safe Routes to School, urban design and placemaking, and transportation planning and design on-call contracts. Teams collaborate with colleagues across the Mid-Atlantic and throughout the country.

The Principal Planner will lead complex, impactful multimodal transportation project teams, provide strategic oversight, and ensure high-quality delivery. The role involves engaging stakeholders and building client relationships, helping develop new business and win work, supervising and mentoring planners, managing workload and staff utilization, and supporting recruitment for the growing planning team.

Toole Design is an employee-owned, purpose-driven firm whose work focuses on safer, more accessible streets and public spaces. The company describes its culture as collaborative and inclusive, with opportunities for mentoring and professional growth. The position offers a hybrid schedule with in-office team days Tuesday through Thursday, eight paid holidays, at least 16 days of PTO accrued annually, competitive salary, benefits, transportation perks, and employee ownership. The targeted salary range is $120,000 to $145,000.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in urban planning, transportation planning, or a related field.
• 15 or more years of transportation planning experience in the Mid-Atlantic; experience in the DMV region is ideal.
• At least 6 years at a private consulting firm managing and delivering public-sector projects and business development.
• At least 4 years of supervisory experience, including staff management, coaching, and professional development.
• Extensive knowledge of multimodal transportation planning practices.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects involving clients, subconsultants, schedules, and budgets and deliver them on time and on budget.
• Experience developing client relationships and winning work through business development, proposals, and interviews.
• Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking skills.

Nice To Haves

• AICP certification.
• Transportation planning experience in the DMV region.

Responsibilities

• Lead project teams on complex multimodal transportation projects and provide strategic oversight.
• Ensure delivery of high-quality project work.
• Engage a broad range of stakeholders to develop impactful plans and build momentum for positive community change.
• Manage client relationships, subconsultants, schedules, and budgets to deliver complex projects on time and on budget.
• Contribute to business development, proposals, interviews, and winning new work.
• Supervise and mentor planners, including staff management, coaching, and professional development.
• Manage workload and staff utilization.
• Help recruit for the growing planning team.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and colleagues across the Mid-Atlantic and the country.

Benefits

• Collaborative, inclusive culture that supports growth and advancement.
• Hybrid schedule with in-office team days Tuesday through Thursday.
• Eight paid holidays.
• At least 16 days of PTO accrued annually.
• Competitive salary and excellent benefits.
• Transportation perks.
• Employee ownership and shared financial success.
• Mentoring and opportunities to grow expertise.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal